Tiltable ring packer



Oct. 8, 1940. T. R. ALLEY TILTABLE RING PACKER Filed May 20, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Oct. 8, 1940. T. R. ALLEY I 'I'ILTABLE RING PACKER Filed May 20, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 :hvuc nto'n T. RALLEY.

69.3% Y mrsflw Patented Oct. 8, 1940 UNITED STATES TILTABLE RING PACKER Thomas R. Alley, Houston, Tex., assignor orfiftyfive per cent to Tulane Gordon, Houston, Ten.

8 x Application May 20, 1938, Serial No. 208,997

9 Claims.

The invention relates to an improvement in packers, particularly of the type where a seal is to be provided between two substantially concentric pipes or openings.

provide a packer made up of a plurality of discs or rings which are normally concave but which may be moved to a flattened position in order to enlarge the outer diameter thereof and effect a seal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tiltable ring packing where the seal is effected by tilting the rings.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a packer for sealing wherein a stack of plates are tilted to increase the diameter thereof in effecting a seal.

Still another object of the invention is to provide in combination with a tool to be positioned in a well bore of a tiltable ring packer.

Still another object of the invention'is to provide a packer to include a supporting structure which will permit tilting of a series of seal rings thereon. 1

Still another object of the invention is to provide a packer support having relatively movable parts in order to effect a tilting of the packing to effect a seal.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a tiltable ring packer wherein the rings are confined and caused to tilt in effecting a seal.

Still another object of the. invention is to provide a tiltable ring packer wherein the rings are normally urged to non-tilting position but may be expanded when the packer is set.

It is also an object to provide a packer of a normal diameter which is the same or less than the tool by which it is carried.

It is also an object to flatten a'series of concave plates in forming a packing seal.

Other and further objects of the invention V will be readily apparent when the following description is considered in' connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a formation testing tool with certain parts shown in section and illustrating an adaptation of the packer theresection of a sealing-01f tool or tubing bottom which carries a packer. I i

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a hook wall type of the packer. I

In Fig. 1 a formation testing tool has been fllustrated which includes a body portion 2 which The body 2 has connected thereto astem 4 10 which may be of any desired length and has a coupling 5 connected to the lower end thereof. This coupling may have any desired length of pipe or foot piece G'thereon extending below the coupling.

I The packing is illustrated generally at l0 and is made up of a plurality of independent rings or discs I I. Each of these discs has been illustrated as of. a concave-convex configuration, having a stantial strength to resist radial stresses and to also resist flexing or flattening if the disc as a whole. I

As seen in Fig. 1 a series or stack of these discs will make up the packing l0 and they may be arranged around the stem 4 with the .outer edge 14 thereof extending downwardly.

The outer edge I4 may or may not be rounded, as shown, depending upon the type of contact which-is desired with the surface such as [5 in the rat hole l6 of the well bore 11.

Each ring is so formed that the inner annular surface l8 will fit upon the cylindrical stem 4 and suchconstruction provides of course an inner shoulder or corner 20 which is the upper inside edge of the packing ring. These rings .will be passed over the stem 4 and assembled as shown in Fig. 1.

To maintain the normal configuration or concavity of the'rings or discs, the tool which serves as a support for these rings may be provided with a hold-down sleeve 2| which is slidably arranged around the reduced portion 22 of the bodyv of the tool. If desired, a spring 23 may abut against the shoulder 24 and against the top of the sleeve 2| so as to normally urge the sleeve downwardly to hold the rings in an inclined position; as seen in Fig. 1.

At: the bottom the rings may be supported upon a base ring 26 which is slidable on the stem 4 and isurged upwardly by a spring 2'! which abuts the coupling 5. The upper surface 28 of this base is inclined to fit the contour of the seal rings.

From the foregoing construction it seems obvious that this stack or series of discs are resiliently confined about the stem 4. With the parts in position of Fig. 1 the tool will be lowered into the well bore and moved into engagement with'the seat IS in the top of the rat hole l6.

Pressure is applied by lowering the desired proportion of the weight of the string of pipe 3 on to the tool. Theouter edges [4 of the series of rings will engage against the seat I5 and as weight is applied to the body 2 the shoulder 30 on the lower end of the reduced portion 22 of the body will move downwardly as will the stem 4. Inasmuch as the outer edges I4 of these rings are stopped by the seat l5, such seat will be thus frictionally engaged and it seems obvious that the inner portions of the stack of rings will be caused to move downwardly by the shoulder 30. There will be a tendency. to flatten the rings so that they assume the position of Fig. 2. As the rings tilt in this manner thetilting action will be about the corner or shoulder 20 where it abuts against the stem 4. As the rings tend to flatten out, as seen in Fig. 2, the outer periphery thereof will be expanded with an increase in diameter and the rings will firmly wedge in between the stem 4 and the seat IS, the increase in diameter assisting in effecting a seal and creating a greater pressure by a very small amount oflongitudinal movement on the part of the stem 4 and the packing rings themselves.

As the rings flatten out the sleeve 2| will be forced upwardly and the base 26 will follow along with the lower packing ring so that the rings will be retained in the desired position compressed together.

A tilting ring packer of this sort 'is of particular advantage because of the ease and facility with which it may be released. So long as weight is applied the parts will stay in the position of Fig. 2. When, however, the weight on the pipe 3 is picked up and there is an upward movement of the tool and the stem 4, the inside of the rings will of course be urged upwardly along with the tool because of the base 26, while the outer edges of the rings will be urged downwardly by the sleeve 2| and spring 23. In this manner there is a twisting or turning action applied to the rings in addition to their normal inherent tend-- ency to resume their concaved configuration.

As the rings tend to resume the position of Fig. 1, their outer diameter is of course reduced. This tends to release the seal and release the packer from its engagement with the seat upon a very slight amount of movement of the tool. It might be noted at this point that with previous packers where there was no tilting movement 01' the stack of flat ring discs, that considerable difllculty had been encountered in releasing the packer because with a tester tool of this sort the well bore I1 is usually filled with heavy drilling mud and after the formation tool has been opened the pressure in the rat hole l6 was released so that it is common to have a pressure of from 2,000 to 5,000 pounds per square inch on the top of a packer of this sort. When the tool 2 is therefore pulled upwardly there is a tendency to strip off the packing ring in releasing the seal but it is believed that this tendency will be materially reduced with the present packer because upon a very slight amount of movement the seal will be released as the rings t lt. There will therefore be a tendency to break the seal on the surface between the packer and the seat rather than at any other point and the tool can be raised due to the tilting action of the rings without in fact moving the rings except as to the tilting action.

An exceptionally satisfactory and efificient seal is obtained because of the enlargement of the rings or discs as they are moved to flattened position. v

Fig. 3 shows another form of the packer where the parts are the same as described in Figs. 1 and 2 except that all of the discs or rings. are of the same diameter to form a cylindrical seal with a pipe or cylindrical bore, rather than providing a tapered seat as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The construction of Fig. 3 may be used one. well bottom or tubing or other string where the ijoot piece 6 can be engaged against the stop or support or against the bottom of the well bore. There is relative sliding movement between the stem 4 and the foot piece 6 which is provided by the telescoping joint at 35 which is provided by the nipple 36 being threaded to the base .31 and the collar 38 which is fixed to the lower end of the stem 4. The base 31 serves the same purpose as the base .or support ring 26 in Fig. 1. A gland 39 may be provided around the stem 4 and it may be normally urged upwardly by a spring 4011' it is desired to insure that the inner periphery of the rings II will be held in tilted position.

Fig. 4 shows a form very similar to that of Fig. 3 except that the gland 39 has been replaced by a coupling 42 which joins the upper and lower sections of the stem 4. The nipple 36 carries a plug 45 in this form of th invention, which plug has a beveled face 46 on its lower end. The pipe 3 in this form may be a string of tubing which is lowered into the well bore so that the face 46 will engage the upper end of the liner or pipe which is located in the well. The weight of the tubing 3 will thus set the packer and form a seal with the casing and the face 46 will form a seal with the liner so that in setting the tubing it is merely necessary to lower it in position and the weight of the tubing will set and maintain the packer.

In Fig. 5 a form is shown wherein the packeris to be set inside of a pipe 50 and may be arslide along the tapered mandrel 53. This mandrel 53 is equivalent to the base 26 in Fig. 1; and

31 in Figs. 3 and 4. With a device of this sort the assembly will be lowered into the well bore and when it is dropped sharply the springs 5| dragging on the inside periphery of the pipe may set the jaws or a bayonet joint 54 may be released by relative turning of the parts to release the pin 56 from the top of the joint. This allows sliding movement of the jaws 52 so that the mandrel 53 will wedge between them and effect an anchor at the desired elevation inside of the pipe 50. When the mandrel 53 is stopped, any further lowering of the pipe 3 will cause the discs to tilt and effect a. seal.

A particular advantage of the packer is obtained with the wall types of Figs. 3 to 5 because the normal outside diameter of the packing rings may be the Same or slightly less than that of the body of the tool or parts with which it is assembled. This permits rapid lowering and raising of the tool and packer in the. well bore without danger of damage to the packer and at the same ti e allowing the passage of liquid around the packer. The tendencyto swab is therefore materially reduced.

Broadly the invention contemplates a packer which may be set by tilting a series of rings from concave to a flattening position so as to increase their diameter and effect a seal.

What is claimed is:

1. A packer comprising a body, a stem, a base movably mounted on said stem, a series of separate and independent concave annular plates of packing material about said stem, each of said plates being inclined outwardly and downwardly,- and means to move said body and stem downwardly relative to said base when the outer periphery of said plates engage a seat on the base so as to flatten said discs by moving the central portion downwardly and the periphery outwardly so that a seal is effected.

2. A formation testing tool including a body, a stem, a series of concaved packing members about said stem, an outer periphery on each of said rings to engage a seat, and means on the tool including a drill stem to engage the upper inner portion of the rings to utilize the weight of said drill stem to flatten the rings and force them against the seat.

3. A formation testing tool including a body, a plurality of downwardly and outwardly inclined packing rings thereon, a resiliently mounted support for said rings, a sleeve member engaging the outer upper portion of the rings to urge them to such inclined position, and means on said body to engage the upper inside portion of the rings to flatten the rings upon movement of the body when the periphery of the rings engages a seat.

4. A packer comprising a body, a stem, a base slidably mounted about said stem, a series of concaved packing members about said stem, resilient means to normally confine the packing members to such concaved position upon said base, and means on said body to engage the upper inside portion of the packing members to flatten said members to effect a seal upon downward movement of said body and stem relative to said base.

5. A packer comprising a body, a stem, a base slidably mounted on said stem, a series of downwardly inclined packing rings between said body and slidably mounted base, means to seat in the well bore to anchor said base, a pipe connected to said body to effect relative movement between said body and slidably mounted base, said rings to be flattened upon said relative movement to effect a seal, and resilient means to urge said rings back to the normally inclined position upon opposite relative movement between said body and sliding base.

6. A tool for setting packing rings including a body, a stem, a series of concave packing members resiliently confined at each end upon said stem, a foot piece extending below said stem, means to cause relative movement between said stem and packing and the foot piece upon engagement of said foot piece with the bottom of Well bore, means to apply pressure to the inner upper edge of said rings so as to carry the rings along with the stem and flatten said rings to effeet a seal.

7. A packer assembly comprising. a body, a

stem, a base on said assembly, a series of concaved packing members about said stem, resilient means to normally confine the packing members to such concaved position, means to seat in the well bore, and means on said body to engage the upper inside portion of thepacking members to flatten said members as the outer edge engages the surface to be sealed.

8. A tubing bottom including a stem having a fluid passageway therethrough, an expansible packing element confined thereon comprising a series of downwardly inclined packing rings, said rings being of such material as to expand radially when the rings are flattened to effect a seal inside of a bore, said stem having a fixed abutment against which the inner edge of the lowermost ring is adapted to abut, and means adapted to be actuated by movement of said stem and abutment whereby an upward movement of said stem is effective to cause a decreasein the diameter of the rings whereby the seal is broken and the packing element is released.

9. A tubing bottom including a stem having a fluid passageway therethrough, an expansible packing element thereon comprising a series of tiltable packing rings, means associated with said stem to tilt said rings by applying pressure to the upper inner edge thereof whereby the rings are moved to a flattened position to effect a seal when the stem is moved in one direction, and additional means on said stem to move said rings to the nontilting position effective to release the packing element when the stem is moved in the opposite direction.

THOMAS R. ALLEY. 

